Relinquo Praeteritus Imperium
by Ryan Johnson
Summary: Spectre Winston Morgan and his crew is on a rescue mission like no other. The ship they are looking for was human made and built, and was lost to the stars 200 years before. On the ship is held a dark secret that will forever change history. Please Review
1. Chapter 1: Introduction

_I do not own Mass Effect, obviously._

_My friend begged me to do a Mass Effect fan-fiction, told me that I could do anything with it, like a clean board for me to draw on, and boy was he right. Just about every character is original and I love writing this._

_This tale takes place after the war against the Reapers, when the galaxy is still at war with the Geth. _

_For this story, I took a lot of inspiration from __The Odyssey, _Lord of the Rings, the Ender series and the Lonesome Dove trilogy. Let's see if you will be able to pick the influences out. I'll update every time I get a new chapter typed and ready to go. Could be next week, could be tommorow.

Happy Readings and please please please please review, I love reviews and almost live for them!

* * *

Winston Morgan looked out through the display window at the powerful image of the Horse Head Nebula. It looked like a gaseous cloud, or maybe yellow light shone on steam. More than anything it reminded him of the Northern lights he sometimes saw when he was stationed in Embanks base in Alaska. In fact, the Horse Head Nebula was pretty fart form their current system, but the telescopic image was well defined, and Morgan felt like he could reach out and touch it. If the Spectre had been in his private quarters, he would have, but the Command Deck of the Appalachian was crowded and bustling with ivilians and Alliance alike.

Morgan stepped back from the display screen and studied the next one, the one of the system they were currently residing in. HIlffirimir had been discovered only thirties years before, around the time the Reaper war ended. In the system were two hospitable planets and a few gas Giants, only six planets in total. Not a large system, but not small either. Prothean ruins had been found on one of the two planets, the one they Middle Eastern discover named Gilgamesh, after the epic poem about the Mesopotamian king. That was the planet they were headed for.

The Dreadnaught ship was only sent as a precaution. There was going to be a battle on the planet, no doubt. A large band of pirates and mercenaries had teamed and taken over the planet. There was nothing the small camp of settlers and even smaller military outpost could have done to stop the villains.

That is what Admiral Kyle Sandecker, the man at the head of the Appalachian and its human crew, was supposed to take care of. Admiral Sandecker was to send out Alliance Marines and lead the fight against the Pirates and Mercenaries. That was what the Alliance had meant to do. What Winston Morgan and his fellow Spectre Chace Verble where on Gilgamesh for something different.

A net signal had started to send off signals that no one could interpret. It wasn't a language they didn't understand, it was the signal used a receptor type so old that no one had anything that could receive the messages sent and unscramble them. Basic studies of the signal showed something almost unbelievable. The ship was Human and 170 years old, from before the humans even landed on Mars, but the single had only been received a few weeks ago, as if the old craft had just appeared.

Intrigued, the partnering Spectres volunteered to retrieve as many files as they could from the craft, and return it to scientists on the New Citadel.

Winston turned to face the XO of the Appalachian, a giant of a Krogan, and one of the four aliens on board. Apparently Admiral Sandecker and the Krogan had become good friends during the Reaper Wars. Wrex, his name was, but Morgan barely knew him. "Wrex." He said, clearly.

"Aye Spectre?" Wrex asked, turning as well, slower than a human normally would have.

"Can I get a status report from that terminal?" Morgan asked.

"Yes Spectre. On what?"

"My ship, the SR3 Eastwood. My lead engineer said he would give me an update over an hour ago, I'm just afraid something might be wrong." Morgan explained, his voice respectful and thankful towards the old Krogan.

Wrex pressed two buttons, and then looked intently at the screen. "Everything reads fine." He said in a low growl.

It was clear that Morgan had interrupted him, and had annoyed the warrior despite the respectful tones used. Winston decided it would be best to leave the Command Deck and check on his Engineering Officer. Karl Scull was very good at what he did, he was just known to take things with little urgency during times of non-crisis.

Morgan excused himself, saluted Wrex, then stepped into a blue elevator marked SJRT-445, the one towards the large hanger the Dreadnaught housed. He wanted to land on Gilgamesh before the Appalachian was detected. His duty was not to the fight, but to recovering as many files as he could from the satellite. If they were to get in undetected, Scull needed to be doing his job. Morgan was only worried that it wasn't happening.

* * *

The elevator opened, and Morgan stepped out of it and made his way down a dark empty hall to yet another elevator. The last elevator led him into the hangar bay of the Appalachian. There were a dozen cruisers or so, a few SSV's, and one frigate. Morgan made his way to the row of SSV's and stopped in front of a sleek downwards curved one that reminded him somewhat of the shape of an old Earth car, the Avanti. It was the SR3 Eastwood, Morgan's personal ship with an all human crew.

"Scull!" Morgan called as he walked down the platform to board the Eastwood. The security door opened. Then he went through the short decontamination process. Soon enough he was standing in Engineering watching two men argue rather loudly.

"I don't give a _damn_ about your procedure, just get it done!" shouted the man on the right. He was tall, almost as tall as Morgan at 5'9. He had longish brown hair and a curved round face with two blues eyes that seemed to always hold humor, even as he yelled. It was Morgan's partner Spectre, Chace Verble.

On the left was a short man who was slightly round in the stomach area, balding horribly, but expressed his anger quite a bit better than the Spectre. It was Karl Scull, Chief of Engineering on the Eastwood. "We need to go through them anyways!"

"Then why the hell didn't you go through them two days before now?"

Scull did not have an answer. He knew of his own incompetence, but did not want to admit it. "I guess…" EH started, unsure of what he was going to say. "I guess I could cut some corners."

"You _are_ going to cut corners." Verble ordered, then gave a surprised raise of the eyebrows as he spotted Morgan watching. Chace nodded off, to the Eastwood deck elevator. Morgan nodded as well, getting the message. They needed to speak in private. As they reached the second deck, they headed for the captain's quarters.

The two Spectres shared the room because of, ironically, Alliance regulations that did not let either one of them room up with one of the crew. The usual jokes went around about the bunk arrangement, but the one who made fun of the situation the most was Verble. Chace defiantly had more of a sense of humor than his usually hard ass partner.

"What did you want to ask me?" Morgan asked as soon as the doors slid shut behind them.

"It's about Jolene."

"What about her?" Morgan asked.

"She just got a vidmail this morning. Her mother has died. Geth attacked a colony on Antibaar where her mother was working on. Nobody made it out alive." Chace's voice became a whisper.

"Is she ok?" Morgan asked with pure concern.

Chace shook his head, "She was close to her mother, but you know…" He paused, "Jolene and I never got along, but she needs someone to talk to."

Understanding where the conversation was going, Morgan shook his head. "I'm bad at comfort speeches. You know that. Send Rainey instead."

"Rainey has already tried."

"Anderson."

"The kid? Hell, the kid is new, barely feels emotions past excitement."

Morgan shook his head again, but he knew he would have to do it. _She is my friend._ He told himself. Chace gave a slight smile, calm, convincing. Chace was one of the few people alive that could persuade Morgan to do anything outside of his comfort zone. He would talk to Jolene, as Chace knew he would.

* * *

"Oh, Commander…" Jolene sat up from her bed quickly as Morgan came through the bunk quarters and touched her foot lightly. "I'm sorry, I was sleeping."

"I know."

"What do you need?" Jolene asked.

"I heard about your mother." Morgan told her, trying to eject concern or sympathy into his voice. He didn't fail completely either.

"I'll be ok."

"I know."

"Then why'd you come to talk to me about it?" Jolene asked him incredulously, then added, "No, don't answer that. Verble put you up to it didn't he."

Morgan did not answer.

"So he did?" Jolene let out a snort of a laugh. "Commander, I'm ok. You don't need to check up on me."

Another voice came into the dark of the quarters. "Which Commander is that?" Asked a light young female voice.

"Morgan." Jolene answered for Winston.

"Alright." The voice died out, a bed rustled as someone turned over to face away from Jolene and Morgan.

Another interruption sounded off, this time an electronic voice. "Commander Morgan."

"Aye?" Morgan looked up.

"You need to come up to Comm room 7 and listen to this.

* * *


	2. Chapter 2: Liberty

_Here is chapter number dos. I hope you like it, and again, pleas review. Pretty please with a giant cherry on top, especially if you want to see more chapters._

* * *

The transmission was fuzzy, blurred and the several voices all speaking at once on the screen were hard to make out from each other. Several Asari's were all yelling and moving around a command deck to an Asari cruiser. Every couple seconds an explosion would sound off and sparks would fly into the deck. It seemed as though the cruiser was under attack. The odd whooshing noises that came with each explosion were that of Geth fighters. Morgan leaned back in his uncomfortable chair, trying his best to concentrate. He reversed the video, and watched it again, then a third time.

Chace spoke at Morgan's right. "Can we isolate one wave of sound?"

It was a good idea. Sandecker spoke into his com, gave the order. The video played again, just one voice was heard instead of many, but it was still hard to pick out, from an Asari off screen. Sandecker, Morgan and Chace watched the video four more time, each time on a new voice, and each time the video was still incomprehensible. Finally they got a coherent voice, strong and firm. It was the Asari closest to the screen.

"Help, help. We are under attack by Geth ships, this is Asari Cruiser 899076, please help us, please respond." The Asari grasped the screen, then fell, her eyes wide in pain. Morgan guessed she had been hit by shrapnel. The video went black.

Sandecker stood. "They are in this system. I'll send some fighters."

"With all due respect Admiral, some fighters might not be enough. I volunteer the Eastwood for the rescue mission. We've taken on eleven Geth fighters at once and came out without a scratch before now." Chace said.

Morgan shot Chace a look, but Chace would not meet his partner's eyes.

"Very well." Sandecker glanced at Morgan. "Get your crew together."

* * *

Morgan and Chace stood behind Lance Corporal Lee Massey at the front of the Eastwood. Massey was the Eastwood's pilot. He was young, tall and his eyes flicked over the many panels rapidly. Lee was speaking loudly as he piloted the Eastwood out of the Appalachians' hanger.

"Ok, you send out the entire crew on a mission to save a bunch of Asari's? I think one of you is just trying to get laid." He commented.

"I'm married." Chace held up two hands as if surrendering.

Lee stared at Morgan.

"You're expendable." Morgan informed the pilot. It was his version of a joke.

Lee laughed loudly. "Oh, so the black man is expendable?"

Not answering Morgan put a hand on lee's shoulder, then walked towards the Galaxy map. "Everybody," He said into the intercom located next to the map, "Strap down."

There was a rush of blue and white around the ship, then blackness. In two seconds the Eastwood and its crew had traveled 5673200 miles. They could not see anything but stars. There wasn't even a visible planet nearby. Morgan went to a display screen and looked at five different views of the endless void outside the ship's hull. On the fourth view he saw it. Seven Geth fighters were taking a series of dives at a small red curved cruiser.

"You got em?" Chace asked.

"Yes I do." Lee replied. The Eastwood shook as it launched two missiles towards the Geth fighters. Both hit their targets, two fighters exploded. "Ok, now they better know we are here."

"Evasive maneuvers." Morgan ordered. The Eastwood spun in space, then pulled up and shot two more missiles towards the Geth. Again each hit targets, sending molten metal flying in all directions. The fight was going easier than Morgan had expected it would have been.

Within one minute all enemy ships had been completely eliminated, and space was only occupied by the Eastwood and the Asari cruiser, both slowly drifting towards each other. The air was silent once again. Chace had his hands on the command board.

"Lee."

"Yeah yeah, you can applaud me later."

"Lee, can you open a link with the cruiser?"

"Aye sir."

Static filled the air, then a voice, the same one that they had heard in the video. "Who is that? This is the Liberty 899076, please open link Alliance ship."

"This is the SSV Eastwood, serial number 2696." Chace answered the Asari's message.

"So you _are_ Alliance." The Asari sounded relieved.

"Yes. I am Chace Verble, Spectre." Chace introduced himself. Morgan remained silent.

"I am Liandra Coli, captain of the Liberty. Thank you for saving us. I assume you got the distress call?" Liandra asked.

"Yes." Chace said, "Is the Liberty still operational?"

"No." Liandra's voice dropped slightly.

"How many Is your crew?"

"17."

"We have room on our ship to transport you and your crew." Chace informed.

Liandra sounded doubtful, "Where are you going?"

"The the Alliance Dreadnaught Appalachian, then to Gilgamesh." Morgan said, "Prepare to be boarded."

* * *

Liandra was, in a word, beautiful. Her blue skin looked soft. Her body was well proportioned and her bright blue eyes were large and held an openness that could make anyone confide in her. Morgan watched the Asari with some concern. They were in the medical bay of the Eastwood. Liandra was sitting up on one of the steel operating tables. Her body was cut up and bleeding. The Eastwood's medic, Dr Cross, was treating her wounds.

According to Joinia, Liandra was caught by a panel that had exploded behind her. Shrapnel had cut up the Asari's back and sides but Liandra was not in danger from her wounds.

"We are a survey team, looking for uranium deposits. We were attacked in an ambush. Our ship has no self defense weaponry on it, and only a few of us are trained soldiers. Joinia…" Liandra motioned at the younger Asari.

Joinia did look considerably younger. If she had a human shade of skin and a smooth neck and human hair instead of the odd slicked back layers of skin that all Asari's had where hair usually would have been she could have been a teenager. Her eyes were not large like Liandra's, but were beadier and sadder. Chace wandered what her eyes had seen to make them feel so dark despite the bright blue hue.

"What are you doing on the dreadnaught?" Liandra asked.

"We are tracking a signal from a human artifact. But that is only our crew. Most of the people on the Appalachian are working to take back Gilgamesh."Morgan explained.

I'm sorry," Joinia said, "Are the Geth on Gilgamesh?"

"No. Only pirates." Morgan said.

"Why are the pirates on Gilgamesh?" Liandra asked.

Chace shook his head. "No idea, but it is an important base and we need it back."

Liandra gave the two humans a small smile. "Like I said, my crew and I are not soldiers, but we promise to help in any way we can."

"Thank you." Chace nodded and shook Liandra's hand.

Liandra looked at Winston Morgan for a long moment. Morgan aluted Chace, gave an acknowledging nod to dr. Cross, then left the Med-Bay. Confused Liandra touched Chace's shoulder. Chace gazed at the Asari for almost a minute.

"What is wrong with the other Spectre?" Liandra finally asked.

"Morgan. He's not very warm and cuddly." Chace told her.

"Why is that?"

"You'd have to ask him." Chace winked and sat at the foot of Liandra's ed. "Were you carrying anything important on your cruiser that the Geth might want?"

Joinia answered before Liandra could, "Nothing."

"We excavated some Prothean writings. Poems, stories and things like that as well as the uranium. Nothing the Geth would want." Liandra said.

"Well, I'll need access to everything on the Liberty's files." Chace told the two.

"You may have it. We have nothing to hide." Liandra smiled warmly

"I cannot tell you how refreshing that is to hear."


	3. Chapter 3: Emotions

_Sorry this one is a tad late. I have a lot on my plate right now. I am filming and acting in two feature films for a school class and I am a part of my school's musical production. School is hell with loads of homework, but I hope to be getting chapters for this in still. I'm having a lot of fun writing it! Please review! _

* * *

Corporal Joseph Two-Wolves chanted silently in his native Cherokee tongue as the rest of the Eastwood crew members slept. Chanting was something he often did when he was nervous or just couldn't sleep. The recent nights had found him waking up in a cold sweat several times. Not that it really was night. Time was a confusing idea in space. Night and Day were relative concepts and usually gauged with an alien version of earth's "Zulu" time or were based on the time of the planet the space craft was heading towards. Often times even the assigned times went to shit and the crews slept whenever their commander slept, like the crew was worshipping a human god.

That was another reason Two-Wolves found himself awake. Once again he was debating his own religion and heritage. He was Cherokee, and proud of his people ancestry and belief in the spirits of all living things. But seeing the galaxy and seeing so many different species, each with their own ancestors and religious beliefs made it hard for him to still worship his gods. It made it harder for him to call upon Asgaya Gigagei when he was sick in body or heart, it made it hard for him to thank Sun during times of merriment, and it even became hard for him to curse Ocasta when he felt anger.

On earth, Cherokee elders spoke of cooperative spirits. The elders said that each species had its own spirit and that all with true hearts would find paradise. Critics and cynics said that this new idea was a pathetic attempt at explaining and holding the Cherokee traditions. Two-Wolves was beginning to believe the cynics.

"Maybe war has made me cynical." He did not mean to speak aloud.

"Hmm?" Master Sergeant Amanda Rainey asked in a tired sort of moan from the bunk across from Two-Wolves

"Nothing, only thinking out loud."

"Well think quieter; I'm trying to get some sleep." Amanda said, then became silent again.

Joseph sighed. Amanda could be a nice woman, but when she was tired… Two-Wolves smiled and rolled over on his back to look up at the gray steel ceiling with disinterest. He closed his eyes and tried to count sheep. It seemed as though nothing would work. Despite his thoughts at not being able to sleep, Joseph was deep into a dream before the hour was over.

* * *

Liandra Coli touched Morgan's shoulder lightly as he slept. He woke gently and smoothly. He opened his eyes he softly turning to look at her. His movements may have been soft, but his eyes still held the hardness that put many people off. Liandra was not to be perturbed by his cold stare. She let her own softness take the impact, and sat up in the steel chair beside the small cot of the Captain's quarters.

"Good morning Winston." She greeted with a mild tone.

Morgan shut his eyes and brought his hands up to wipe the sleep from them. "What do you need Coli?" Morgan asked, making an emphasis on her name. Her _last_ name. He wanted it to be obvious that it was not a first name friendship.

It appeared as though Morgan had succeeded in the task. "This is about my body guard." Liandra told the Spectre coolly "Joinia."

"What about her?" Winston asked as he brought himself to a stand. The Spectre wore long Alliance issue Physical Training pants and no shirt. He crossed Liandra towards his locker and opened it.

"It is her mother."

Winston let out a long heavy sigh. "She's dead, isn't she?"

"Yes, how did you know?"

"Anything else, you wouldn't be here." Morgan informed the Asari.

"Why do you say that?" Liandra asked.

Morgan sighed once more. "Everyone seems to be coming to me to help with other's emotional issues."

"I didn't want to come to you. You did not seem like the type of man who would help Joinia." Liandra's words were as harsh as Morgan's eyes. Morgan visibly winced, as though he had been punched in the gut.

"Then don't come to me. Go to Chace." Winston snapped.

"Chace sent me to you."

Morgan turned around to face her. He held in his hands a gray shirt that he had retrieved from his locker. He took one step towards Liandra. Then he paused before taking another. He was within a foot of her, he bent slightly, to level him to her while she was sitting, then he leaned forward. "You are her commander. Why can't you give her the sentimental speech?"

"Because I am not a soldier!" Liandra stood.

The Spectre did not stand at first, but instead nodded his head. He only said one word when he stood to meet Liandra. "Please."

Liandra looked into the human's eyes and held back a small gasp. Morgan's large brown eyes no longer held the cold emotionless gaze that they had when she first entered his quarters. As she looked deeply into his eyes they revealed a sadness and a fear that Liandra would not have ever guessed resided in Morgan's heart.

"What is wrong?" Liandra asked.

"Nothing. I just, I'm no good at this."

"At what?"

"At the 'everything it is going to be ok' stuff." Morgan's voice cracked. "It is so hard for me to show feeling, but people seem to expect it from me. It is so goddamn hard to force it out for everybody."

"You are showing feeling now."

"This is frustration. Chace, he understands that I'm not human in mind, but it's like he wants to put it in me. That is why he keeps sending people who need to talk to me." Morgan staggered back onto his bed and sat on it, his head in his hands. For a moment his face was hidden. When he revealed it to Liandra once more, the coldness had returned. "I will speak to her if I must."

"Thank you Winston."

Morgan looked back down at the floor, and didn't look back up until Liandra was out of the door. Less than a minute later the door slid open again. Joinia stood in the doorway.

"Spectre Morgan?" She asked as if she was unsure of whom she was speaking to.

"Aye?" Morgan answered.

"I was wandering if I could join you on the surface of Gilgamesh tomorrow." Joinia asked. Not a trace of sadness over her mother's death seemed to show.

Remembering something an Asari had once told him about the philosophy of life and death among the Asari, Morgan smiled. It became clear the real reason Liandra wanted him to speak with Joinia. Liandra wanted him to convince the younger Asari not to join him and his squad on Gilgamesh. Liandra was afraid that Joinia would act brashly as a result of possible hidden depression over the death in her family. With one look over Morgan went to his feet. He was much taller than Joinia, but Joinia did not show any indication that his height over hers was intimidating her.

"I will fight hard and be an asset to your squad." Joinia told him, looking him straight in the eyes.

Morgan laughed and felt oddly happy and amused. The feelings confused him, but he did not dislike them. "You may come."

"Thank you Spectre." Joinia turned to leave the quarters.

"However," Morgan's words stopped her, "You must obey all orders received from me or Verble, got it?"

"Yes, I have it." Joinia gave a cheery little wink, and then left Morgan's presence.

Turning back to his locker Morgan pressed a button on his Omni-tool. It transmitted a message to all of his crew at once.

* * *

Joseph woke with a full nights rest behind him. He had overslept but did not feel sorry for it. He had needed the sleep and no one was going to give him any crap for taking it. He was pretty much useless while in flight anyways. Joseph was a soldier. His Omni-Tool flashed on his arm. A message had been sent. He retrieved it and read the simple sentence.

_All Eastwood personnel and members assisting on the Gilgamesh surface mission report to the Appalachian 2__nd__ Deck Mess Hall at 0900 Gilgamesh time._

It had no signature, but it came from a Spectre. It was easy to guess which one had sent it. Chace always included a joke.

* * *


End file.
